How often is it ok to give carrots?

[jerseybunnybabymomma]

I have an 11week old jersey wooly bun, who absolutely loves carrots, i have the big carrots for cooking, i usually break one in half and give him half every couple of days. Is this too much or could i actually give him more? Any input would be nice, i dont wanna make him sick, he is my first bunny. Well i had some when i was little, but i wasnt bonded with them like i am with him, he's inside lol.

 

[mistyjr]

11 weeks old is a little early. Best to wait until they are 6 months old. Carrot tops are good for them.,. Couple weeks ago I had a bunny died from bloat that had carrots and spinach that she had... I would be careful.

 

[jerseybunnybabymomma]

oh my gosh i didnt know he could die from it! Im so sorry to hear about your bun =[ i'll be more creful. i wasnt sure and i sisnt want to hurt him so i thought i would ask.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Carrots are high in sugar and should be limited. 1/2 a large carrot a couple times a week is too much, especially for a young rabbit. I would limit him to a piece the size of a baby carrot (doesn't actually have to be a baby carrot though) once or twice a week.
Leafy green veggies are much better for a rabbit. Start slowly to avoid GI issues. Parsley, cilantro and lettuce are good ones to start with. Only give a small amount to start with and one at a time. Slowly increase the amount of a veggie, then introduce new ones the same way.

I used to feed lots of carrots. Now that my buns get leafy green veggies, they don't really like carrots all that much.

 

[mistyjr]

It's good to ask... Carrots can be feed as treats. That's the way I look at it.. Other people dont see it that way.. But I want to be careful what I feed my bun's. Even with my Spidy that just choked on hes pellets 2 days ago. Want to be careful with them. I hate loosing bunnies all the time.

 

[kirbyultra]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

Carrots are high in sugar and should be limited. 1/2 a large carrot a couple times a week is too much, especially for a young rabbit. I would limit him to a piece the size of a baby carrot (doesn't actually have to be a baby carrot though) once or twice a week.
Leafy green veggies are much better for a rabbit. Start slowly to avoid GI issues. Parsley, cilantro and lettuce are good ones to start with. Only give a small amount to start with and one at a time. Slowly increase the amount of a veggie, then introduce new ones the same way.

Ditto! I agree.

Too many veggies at an early age and especially sugary treats like carrots at that quantity can cause a tummy upset. You can start introducing dark leafy veggies , one at a time, at about 16 weeks. That's what's usually recommended.

 

[jerseybunnybabymomma]

Thank you for all your tips, i'll mark it down when he turns 16 weeks, thats about another 5 weeks, then maybe give him some greens

 

[jcottonl02]

I see no problem with introducing vegetables at 3 months old (12 weeks), as long as it is not excessive. I'm sure some people will not agree with me, but this is my opinion.

As long as any (safe) food is introduced slowly into the diet, especially for a young bun, then there should be no reason for it to affect them badly. It is true that some rabbits don't do well on certain vegetables, and they get a bit of a runny stool, but you just have to watch out for these and make sure this vegetable is not given, or given in very small quantities.

Carrot is quite high in sugar, so it should be limited to perhaps once a week or so.

A young rabbit (3 months or so) should not have too many veggies in their diet. I would recommend (VERY slowly) introducing different vegetables to them, one at a time, perhaps a pinch of curly kale, or a chunk or so of broccoli, perhaps a few sprigs of rocket.
Then after another few weeks or so, start to increase this until it is the House Rabbit Society guidelines, of a minimum of 2 cups of veggies daily per 6lbs of rabbit.

Pippin got vegetables from 12 weeks old and he was absolutely fine with them. By 4months old he was getting a large bowl of a variety of veggies, and absolutely adored it. It did not change his stool- it had nothing but a good affect on him

Just my :twocents

Jen

 

[jcottonl02]

The House Rabbit Society also recommends introducing vegetables at 12 weeks

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/diet.html#young

 

[elrohwen]

I have heard that there is new info from the HRS stating that carrots are not as high in sugar as previously thought and can be given daily. However, I'd rather be safe than sorry and would adhere to the old rule of only as a treat. I think leafy greens just seem far healthier and more natural for the kind of diet a wild rabbit would have.

I would also start by introducing greens before carrots. Baby bunnies often have trouble with things that are high in sugar, so something like parsley or romaine would be a better first veggie for him.

 

[juliew19673]

I give my buns 1 baby carrot each - each day; but split it in half begining in the morning and then the other half after dinner. However, a number of my friends that are much more knowledgable than I claim my boy bun is "too tubby" and should have a pretty restricted diet ..

I sometimes feel with these particular people, like the parents you now see on the news who feed their obese child McDonalds. :shock:. Its hard for me to be militant, so 1 baby carrot a day I can live with - but that being said, my bun is 2 years old so you probably should be a little careful with the amount you give your baby bun.